This invention relates generally to an adapter for use with a fuel cell in a combustion tool, and more specifically to an adapter for use in allowing a shorter or smaller fuel cell to be used in a tool designed for accepting a longer or larger fuel cell.
As exemplified in Nikolich U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,403,722; 4,483,474; 4,522,162; and 5,115,944, all of which are incorporated by reference, it is known to use a dispenser such as a fuel cell to dispense a hydrocarbon fuel to a combustion tool, also known as a combustion gas-powered tool, such as, for example, a combustion gas-powered fastener-driving tool, also known as a combustion nailer. Such fastener-driving tools and fuel cells are available commercially from ITW-Paslode (a division of Illinois Tool Works, Inc.) of Vernon Hills, Ill., under its IMPULSE trademark.
In some combustion tools, there is a cavity provided in the tool for receiving a fuel cell of a specific length so that the outlet of the fuel cell will engage properly with a dispensing outlet to deliver a proper amount of gaseous fuel to a combustion chamber for powering the tool. Fuel cells are therefore produced with a specific length and size to be accommodated in this cavity to properly position the fuel cell outlet relative to the dispensing outlet of the tool.
For various reasons, it has become necessary or desirable to provide fuel cells having a shorter length or smaller size for various tools, resulting in multiple sizes of fuel cells being manufactured, each being able to be used only in a tool designed to accommodate one of the particular sizes of the fuel cells. Therefore, it would be an improvement if an adapter were available to allow a tool manufactured for using a longer fuel cell to be able to accommodate and use a shorter fuel cell.